


All Come Out In The Wash

by Qem



Category: Free!
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Wistful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 16:05:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1095934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qem/pseuds/Qem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Both Makoto and Haruka are very careful about not messing up their friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Come Out In The Wash

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cienna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cienna/gifts).



> Some of the events referrenced here are referring to the drama cd's - a translation can be found here: http://grimmfeather.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/translation-free-drama-cd%E3%80%8Ciwatobi-high-school-swim-club-activity-log-1%E3%80%8D/

Makoto really didn’t mean to be wishy washy, but how could he say was he was really thinking in front of them all? Someone’s feelings might get hurt, or they might think him weird. Best to stick with the flattery over how they would all make excellent boyfriends, and remain neutral as best as he could.  
Makoto did feel a brief moment of hope when Haru made his initial choice, but losing to mackerel… well. That was Haru all over. And for better or worse, Haru will never change.

Only sometimes Makoto can’t help but wistfully wish, that maybe some things would change. Become something more. Only a little though – he really couldn’t bear it if things changed so much that he couldn’t stay friends with the others from the swim club.

* * *

While Haruka doesn’t always get social conventions, he does know enough, that he’s not supposed to admit that he picked Makoto because you’re supposed to like touching and being touched by your boyfriend and Makoto’s the easiest one in that category. When you have a partner, you’re supposed to hang out with them all the time right? There’s no one who Haruka wants to hang out more with, than Makoto, so there’s only one easy answer Haruka can give.

But he knows if he says that, he might risk losing it all, so he says nothing more than he needs to. That’s also why, when he’s given an easy out by Nagisa he takes it up. It’s obviously a joke when Nagisa works to convince Haruka into picking himself, so obviously the correct thing to do is to go along right? But why would Makoto look sad after, aren’t jokes meant to make people happy?

Well Nagisa’s happy so Haruka must have done something right at least… He wishes he could just go back into the pool now. Everything is so much simpler when you are only surrounded by water.

* * *

“Ne, ne Mako-chan. Remember when we were talking about boyfriends and who we’d pick?”  
The time when grilled fish was ranked higher than himself, how could Makoto forget? Is Makoto’s first thought, before he answers in a positive tone, “Yes of course, on the roof last week.”  
“ What would happen if we added Rin-chan to the equation?”

“Huh, well it would of meant that we would have gotten to hear Rin’s thoughts but I don’t know if it would have changed anyone else’s answers. It’s probably best we don’t tell Rin that.”, Makoto smiles in an attempt to forge a conspiracy with Nagisa and prevent any further dramas from occurring.

It’s the truth. While Rin and Haruka might share a special connection that Makoto finds himself left out of, truthfully Makoto doesn’t think Haru thinks of anyone like that at all. Makoto’s never seen Haru express any romantic interest, ever. He only ever picked Makoto because they spend a lot of time hanging out together anyway. And Rin’s not the sort to let things stay easy, Haru knows that.  
“Ah! So you would pick Rin! I see, I see. That explains why you were so wishy washy with the limited choices!”

“NAGISA! Where would you even get an idea like that?” Makoto can’t help but wail in reaction.

* * *

Haruka pauses for a moment around the corner. Would Makoto pick Rin over the others? Possibly if he thought that it would mean the most to Rin; who can be oddly fragile with how much he needs others to keep him grounded. And Makoto is good at keeping people grounded, and always tries to be where he is most needed.

Haruka should know.

* * *

Makoto can’t help but face palm, at the latest antic Haruka has managed to pull off. The water was being “shock dosed” with a chlorine treatment due to the heavy rain. It was meant to be left alone overnight as the chlorine levels were still too high consequently was not fit for swimming. Haruka, of course, ignored all warnings and insisted on diving in. The consequence is now painful red eyes which require eye drops. Haru-chan is usually quite stoic, but he can’t help but wince and blink when trying to add the eye drops in. (Although he’s doing better than Makoto would, if Makoto tried to do it for himself, Makoto can’t help but wryly notice.)

“Hold still Haru-chan”, he says gently. “I’ll help you put the eye drops in.”

Haru stays still, as Makoto gently squeezes the drops in, then flutters his eyelids as Makato begins to move away. “There, isn’t that a lot simpler?” Makoto asks with a smile, watching as Makoto nods gently once then looks away into the distance once again.

* * *

Haru has to wonder sometimes why Makoto touching him feels good. It’s not like he flinches when others pat him on the back, or when a teacher leans a hand on his shoulder.

But there are very few people who Haruka actually likes touching him, and fewer still that Haruka wants to reach out and touch.

Makoto is one of them.

* * *

Oh no. Oh no. Those thoughts course through repeating endlessly through Makoto’s mind along, a chorus to the jumbled refrain of everything else tumbling through his head.

He’s ruined everything, only it was just that he was helping to pull Haruka out of the pool and then slipped and well, he had to protect Haru-chan so he’d thrown his arms around Haruka, and then when they were disentangling, Haru-chan said something, and Makoto can’t even remember what it was at this point, but he just felt so alive, and he felt so in love with Haru, that he couldn’t help it, before he even thought about it, he found himself leaning in to kiss Haru-chan, and then he realised what he did, and how he’s now ruined everything.

There aren’t many places a person of Makoto’s size can hide within the school, but if it scoots down, and stays very quiet he can hide in this janitor’s closet for a few hours, to ensure that Haruka has definitely left the school grounds; before he returns to the club room and gets changed. Yes, he can just spend a few hours concentrating on his breathing, ah ha ha, which is for some reason right now quite difficult to manage, ah ha ha! Breathing is a very important skill to refine when it comes to swimming, so just focus on that for now.

Yes, as he hears someone quiet’s footsteps along the corridor, just focusing on breathing as shallowly and quietly as possible; that’s the best thing for him to do right now.

* * *

Haruka doesn’t often understand people very well. But the person he understands best is Makoto and he knows what Makoto thinks is funny and what kind of jokes he would never play.

He knows where Makoto would likely end up hiding, and he knows what he’s going to say when he opens that door.


End file.
